2009 NFL Draft – Day 1 Review

It’s hard to put into precise words the feelings that fans around the world have when it comes to the NFL Draft. Some would say exciting, some would say nerve-racking, and some would say frustrating. Some teams today must have fanbases very confused and frustrated (Oakland, what’s up?). However, for the Atlanta Falcons, their fanbase should be filled with happy and excited members right now.

The Falcons went into the first day of the 2009 NFL Draft with the 24th pick in the first round and the 23rd pick in the second. They came away with two potential all-stars — both hard-workers on and off the field and both high character guys.

With the 24th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Peria Jerry, defensive tackle from Ole Miss. What I love about Peria Jerry is his work ethic. Many scouts go on and on about how hard this kid works. When it comes to drafting players, that’s exactly the type of thing that Thomas Dimitroff likes seeing in his players. Now with that said, Peria Jerry will have to use that hard work and dedication of his to tune up his weaknesses. He’s not exactly a prototypical 4-3 nose-tackle seeing that he’s barely 300 lbs (he’s currently listed as 299 lbs) and does not possess a frame to get much bigger. Overall, I would grade this pick a solid B. Peria Jerry is an excellent pass rusher and still has upside. Although it’s not a flashy pick, it’s certainly an understandable pick seeing that we needed help at the defensive tackle and we needed to provide some aid to both John Abraham and the secondary.

With the 23rd pick of the second round, the Atlanta Falcons selected William Moore, safety from Missouri. I can say a lot about this pick and this player. I’m surprised Moore fell to our pick in this round because I personally believe he is a type of player that every coach would like to have on their team. He’s a born leader; he led Missouri’s defense and was often the only player making plays on a team that really needed them this year. He’ll be the type of player Milloy was this year except he will have upside to get a lot better – which is why I think William Moore was the perfect player to replace Milloy with. Moore is also not afraid to get down and dirty defending against the run and laying the hard hits on receivers and tight ends alike. Although Moore still needs to develop better coverage skills, I think we came away from this spot of the draft with a lot of value. I grade this pick a walloping A+. I was jumping up and down the room when this pick was called… (unfortunately, I was jumping up and down too much that I hit the light in the middle of my room and shattered it, so after I publish this post I plan on cleaning that up.)